When fabrics are ironed the temperature settings selected by the user by means of the thermostat are not always correctly adapted to the type of the fabric being ironed.
This may concern a control error of the thermostat or failure of the user to recognize the type of the fabric being ironed. This may have serious consequences for the fabric if it is ironed at too high a temperature and, as a matter of fact, it may be damaged. The ironing problems are characterised by:
a large variety of textiles PA1 a large variety of temperature conditions PA1 a necessity of soon enough detecting a possible control error and of rapidly responding. PA1 a detector for detecting the type of fabric to be ironed, the detector being adapted to supply a signal (SF) to distinguish a delicate fabric (SF=1) from a non-delicate fabric (SF=0), PA1 means for storing a maximum temperature limit (T.sub.s) corresponding to delicate fabrics, and PA1 comparison means for comparing the maximum temperature limit (T.sub.s) with a temperature (T.sub.a) programmed by means of the thermostat, PA1 when said signal (SF) indicates a non-delicate fabric (SF=0) the detector activating the control means to provide heating to the temperature (T.sub.a), and PA1 when the signal (SF) indicates a delicate fabric (SF=1), the detector validating the comparison means to act upon the control means either so as to activate an alarm when the programmed temperature is equal to or higher than the maximum temperature limit (T.sub.a .gtoreq.T.sub.s) and to invalidate the heating control or to perform moderate heating, or so as to enable heating to the programmed temperature (T.sub.a) when the programmed temperature is below the maximum temperature limit (T.sub.a &lt;T.sub.s). PA1 means for measuring the resistivity of the fabric, and PA1 means for measuring an average amplitude of an electric signal resulting from resistivity variations caused by the movement of the iron on the fabric.
Manufacturers of irons provide the irons with thermostats, leaving the decision about the setting to be chosen to discretion of the user. No control whatsoever is provided to preclude a possible error by the user.